Airship



mw/r/TM 3 Sheets-Sheet B 12 Ill IlllllTnnnnnn AIRSHIP R. A. YELLI Filed Jan. 29, 1929 m7 WV,

June

R. A YELLI June 14, 1932.

AIRSHIP Filed Jan 29, 1929 5 She9tsSheet INVENTOR.

R. A. YELLI June 14, 1932.

AIRSHIP Filed Jan. 29, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

7 Well as the duration of suction thru the air unitary steering wheel for selectively oper- Patented June 14, 1932 1,863,217

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH A YELLI, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-FIFTH T0 H. MISCHLER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AIRSHIP Application flied January 29, 1929. Serial No. 335,844.

This invention relates to improvements in purpose of creating a draft in the air conduit airships or in lighter than air craft and more to be conveyed into the tunnel to draw air particularly to propulsion and steering means out of the tunnel. therefor, Another object of this invention is to pro- One of the objects of this invention is to vide a steering wheel designed to be operated provide improved means for providing a by the pilot or director of the airship and efsimple, efficient and inexpensive mechanism fective to control the suction of air thru the for maintaining the stability of an airship, air shafts collectively or separately as may be and for keeping it to an even keel when in desired. the course of flight. Another object of this invention is to estab- Another object thereof is to provide an air lish intercommunication between all of the tunnel in the airship with means for creating air shafts with the main air tunnel whereby a suction therein as a means of propelling to allow all or none of the air shafts to simulthe airship, means being also provided for taneously function to suck air out of the tunthe purpose of directing and controlling the nel from front to the rear thereof. direction in which the aircraft is propelled. A further object of this invention is to pro- Another object of this invention is to create vide a series of trap doors in the several air a supplementary source of air suction in the Shaft branches of the main airship air tunfront of the ship for assisting in sucking air nel, each trap door controlling and regulating thru the tunnel and for causing better stabithe passage of air thru one particular and lization of the airship when in flight. different air shaft, and from it into the tun- Another object thereofis to provide means nel. for varying the volume of suction at the front Another object of this invention is to proend o-fthe airship, thus changing the rate as Vide means for the purpose of providing a 5 tunnel and at the same time counterbalancing ating the means for establishing simultaneundue pressure exerted thru atmospheric ous intercommunication between all of the conditions on any particular part of the ship air shafts and the tunnel, and for selectively that might otherwise tend to make it deviate and interchangeably operating any single from a set course. trap door to the exclusion of the other for A further object of this invention is to proopening the air line of communication be- Vide an airship With regulating means for tween this air shaft and the main tunnel. varying the suction in the air tunnel at the A still further object of this inv nti f t. inlet end of the machine whereby to is to steer the airship by means of the inlet allow for righting any tendency on the part air conduits or shafts formed as terminals of the ship to pitch or lose even keel. upon the main air tunnel to the extent that Another object of this invention is to proby closing the air line communication bevide a series of divergen all S f at the tween all but one of the air shafts suction ifnlet epd theC H3111 air tufnplilel f l ll mg taking placein the particular air shaft open 0 a; 1;; taste the anti: a a. i l open a1rsa -oc1rect esipinthecig g gggg g fii ggfigiigi ggi ig fiffij rection of location of the open air shaft thereshaft may selectively be stopped to better y veering iurshlp about thls pomt of stabilize the airship. change of dlrectloil' A further object of this invention is to prodd another. Ob] ect of thls ntventlon Is to vide propellers. or propulsion means in com provide four vair shafts, two belng arranged junction with the several air shafts for the m a Vertlcal P and e rlght angles purpose f sucking as well as exhausting air thGI'GtO fOI the purpose Of pointing 8218i], WESt, therethruand from the tunnels, and for the north and south, to regulate by the trap doors in these air shafts the point where the airship is to veer and change its course.

lVith the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention taken thru the air tunnel,

Figure 6 is a fragmental sectional elevation taken of the front end of the tunnel, showing the air shafts,

Figure 7 is a fragmental detail'view of the rotary valve shown in moved position relatively to Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the steering wheel and dial there opposite,

Figure 8a is a sectional view of the tunnel showing an end view of the rotary valve therein controlling the flow thru the air shafts, v

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the air shafts showing the trap door actuating 'mea ns,

- Figure 10 is a front elevation of the upper air shaft,

Figure 11 is a fragmental front View of the four air shafts,

Figure 12 is a front elevation of the left central air shaft,

Figure 13 is a front elevation of the four air shafts showing the means for actuating the rotary valve,

. Figure 14 is a front elevation of the lower central air shaft, and I Figure 15 is a fragmental sectional elevation of the four air shafts showing the rotary plug open to connect with all of them. 7

In the drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention, an airship is shown in most respects being of conventional construction as concerns the construction of the body for holding the'lighter than air gas. The main body of this airship is designated 10 and extending thru the center of this body longitudinally from front to rear'is a tunnel or wind conduit 11 which at the center Leer-rel? ignated 13 for supporting the longitudinal tunnel and at the same time bracing the upper and lower portions of the body; each strutmay have the oppositely extending or forked terminals 14, 15 where it joins the upper or lower portions of the body 10 of the airship. Connected longitudinally underneath the main body portion 10 of this airship is a compartment 16 which houses the crew, cargo, passengers and others, suitable doors 19 being provided, for exit and entrance, and suitable windows being also provided, the carriage body having the traction and landing'wheels 18 as shown. At the rear of the airship the body 10 tapers as at 20 and carries the rudders 21, 22 and other parts that an airship requires for helping in the steering function. The rear struts 23 are designed to reinforce the tapering portion of the body 20 and it will be seen that this tunnel has its section 12 open out of the airship at the rear thereof. 7

My invention has to do with the front of the airship where a suction device is installed forsteering and for stabilizing the airship when in flight. For this purpose there are provided a plurality of separate air shafts, .four in number preferably, designated 24, 2441,7246, and 240, arranged, two air shafts 24, 24b, in a vertical plane, and two air shafts 24a, 240 arrangedv in a horizontal plane, so

the respective air shafts point northeast, southwest, and northwest and southeast respectively. These air shafts connect operatively with the adjacent front end of the tunnel 11, 12 forsuckingair out of the tunnel and the air shafts may be constructed in different ways;

For example it may be desired to cause the air shafts which are in the form of tubes, to rotate themselves so in Figure 1 these air shafts are held against longitudinal move- 'ment in fixed collars or bearings 23 arranged radially from the tunnel 11 to cause the air shafts to project divergingly at the front part of the airship. The propellers 29 are inside the flaring funnel shape ends30 of the air shafts, and are fixed so as to rotate with the air shafts. The mechanism for rotating the air shafts may be any suitable device or engine, the gearing 27 in the form of 300: formed at its extreme front end, whereby four branch stems are provided, two, 32, in a horizontal plane, and two, 3 3, in a vertical plane, or vice versa. However in Figures In Figure 4 it will be seen 6 and '7 the conduits of air shafts 24, 24a, 24b, and 240 are connected Without the miter portion, to the tunnel.

It is particularly designed to keep the front end P of the tunnel 11 open at all times for the permanent reception of air, save when repairs. are being made to this tunnel. This assures that air can enter thru the front end of the airship and be exhausted thru the rear thereof. However, where the wind shafts are employed each is to have its air supply or air passage separately controlled. Packing rings or the like "34 may be interposed between the stems of the joint a and the adjacent ends of the wind shaft to prevent leakage of air there around.

Instead of rotating the air shafts directly they may be made stationary as shown in Figure 6. The four air shafts will diverge forwardly of the airship, with two being arranged in a vertical plane and two in a horizontal plane, preferably. A rotary valve or plug 35 is located at the fore end of the air tunnel 11 and is formed with four right angularly separated ports or holes A, B, C and D for registering and communicating, if need be, with the bores of the four air shafts, 24, 24a, 24b, and 240. This valve 35 has an axial bore 36 extending therethru from one end to the other thereof with the optional flaring inlet T and the four radial ports A, B, C, and D communicate with this axial bore; this axial bore 36 opens out to the atmosphere at all times as at P. This plug valve is carried rotatably by a large gear 35a interposed between sections of the tunnel 11, with suitable packing therebetween, if desired, it being also understood that this tunnel can be supported by the struts 13. The gear 35a has a central opening 36a for the passage of air thru the tunnel. The gear 35a is connected thru asleeve 47 to another toothed wheel or gear 48 this sleeve being revolubly mounted upon the tunnel 11. Meshing with this gear 48 is a smaller gear 49 operatively supported in any position and in any bearing in the airship. The shaft 50 has fixed thereon a sprocket wheel (not designated) and trained upon this wheel is a sprocket chain 51 also trained upon the sprocket on a stub shaft 52 mounted in the fixed bearings 53 and carrying the steering wheel 54, which is arranged to turn against a fixed segmental scale 55 having inscribed thereupon a series of consecutive numerals 1 to 6 inclusive, preferably extending from right to left. By turning the steering wheel gear 48 is rotated, which thru the sleeve 47 turns the wheel 35a which is formed at diametrically opposite points with rows of teeth, 62, and 63, the balance of the peripheral edge of this wheel being void of teeth.

Operatively mounted in bearing lugs 44% carried externally from the tunnel 11 are the shafts 48', and upon each of these shafts wheel and valve are combined in the unitary :1

structure 35, having the diametrically opposite rows of teeth 62 and 63 formed thereupon.

An alternate form of suction device for the air shafts is disclosed in Figure 6 where on shafts 39, journaled in diametrical bearings 30, if desired secured in the air shafts severally, and rotated thru any instrumentality that may include a motor, are propellers 38 which may consist of four blades as shown in Figure 2.

These propeller blades are made greater in length than the bore of the air shafts so as to create a strong suction. The air shafts may each be divided longitudinally into two separate air compartments 40, 40a, the partition 24m providing these two separate passages or compartments in each air shaft, the latter being so arranged and proportioned that any of the ports A, B, C, or D of the rotary valve will or may register with any of these passages 40, 40a of any selective air shaft. This form of construction and arrangement of the parts are all optional. The

passages 40 of the several air shafts will make 5 1' communication thru the ports 41, one for each air shaft, with the main passageway 36 of the tunnel itself. In Figures 2a and 2b the air shafts are not shown formed with any partitions and here there is just one bore 40. Operatively slidable in the passage 40 of the air shafts are the trap doors designated respectively 56, 56a, 56b and 560. A diagonally disposed slit, is formed (Figures 2a and 27)) so as to intersect the passage 40, as the case may be, and a notch 57 is formed diai'netrical- 1y opposite the slit to receive one end of the particular trap door. Located in the slit 58 is a coiled spring confined in this slit by the cap or like member and constrained to apply spring pressure against the outer end of the trap door 56 to keep it in closed position so air cannot possibly pass thru the passage 40 of the air shaft in question as long as this trap door is closed. Each trap door has a stem 59 by means of which the trap door can be pulled to open position to unbar the passage 40.

In Figure 6 it will be seen that the slidable trap doors 56, 56a, 56?), 560 are connected to coiled springs 575 which restore them to normal position after they may have been extended. These valves have their inner ends closed upon the bearing blocks 57a, located in the passages 40.

It will be seen also that the air shaft passages 40a register with the ports 41a formed in the front, flaring end of the main tunnel 11 so as to communicate with the ports A, B,

U and D of rotary plug Formed in the flaringvpart of bore 36. are four ports s by .means of which air may be sucked in, thru any of the passages 40, thru port 41, and by way of the port S into the tunnel 11, when a string 61 which is attached also to the outer end of one stem 59 or other part of one trap door 56. Referring now to Figures 7-13 inclusive it will be seen that the four pinions are spaced apart circumferentially of the :wheel 35a. One pinion 42 is arranged at the upper dead center position of the wheel 35a; the one just below it, designated 43 is spaced away a short distance below dead center; the

pinion 44 is located midway dead center position; while the pinion 45 is spaced therebelow a short distance.

It will be understood that where the propellers are located inside the air shafts as shown in Figure 1 four blades will preferably be connected to their shafts severally.

In Figure the struts consist of triple units, the center unit being perpendicular, designated 130, while the adjacent struts incline in opposite directions as at 13a, 136, but converge in sets or pairs from the tunnel 11 towards the outer walls of the tunnel.

The means for creating a suction thru the main tunnel 11 are suitable blowers, powerful in effect and of any approved design. Two

sets of blowers are provided, designated 64 and are operatively supported centrally of the machine, one set being used only in cases of emergency should the other set be crippled or otherwise disabled. The tunnel 11 is t divided, as already stated, into two sections,

each section terminating in outwardly diverging stems;-one section has the fork with the stems 65, which connect thru the tubes 650: from the operating set of blowers 64, to the inactive set of blowers 67, while the other fork having the stems 66a lead from the operating blowers to the inactive blowers so air generated by the operating blowers and effective to create a suction is forced thru the inactive blowers into the section of the tunnel that extends to the rear. In this manner the air thru the tunnels may be sucked out. It will also be understood that the entire length of the airship will be divided by bulkheads into separate compartments, each to be filled preferably with helium gas. The body or envelope is capacious enough to provide quarters for the'various operators of the craft. I V

In operation the airship is built along lines of speed. The blowers when in full operation-will suck air in from the front end of the airship to the extreme rear and the air will initially come in from the open front end of the tunnel and exit thru the open rear end thereof. Thisc'reates a vacuumor'partial vacuum at the frontor nose end of. the machlne and as this vacuum causes a forcible inrush of air froln rear to .frontywhere the vacuumexists, the alrship ls'lmpelled on its air shafts it sends air into the tunnel which passes from front to theire'ar of the machine;

in this aspect the propellers 3.8 or29;will.sup- 'plement the action of theblowers in sucking air into the airship so the speed ofthe craft is increased considerably. In this capacity, the air shafts will allow air to enterthe tunnels, when trap doors are severally open, and thus pass into the tunnel 11 but at no time is it designed to open all trap doors at the same time. 1

The propellers will direct air in advance of the craft towards the center of the airship nose and thru the respective branch tunnels from which the air is forced into the main tunnel and will ultimately be discharged from the latter at the rear of the craft, thus causing the ship to be propelled forwardly thru the atmosphere as a result of the partial vacuum created in advance of the craft. Stability of the airship isalso increased as the several wind shafts each exerts an influence of equilibrium as they point to north, south, east and west at the same time and frustrate any tendency on the part of the aircraft to pitch or list in any manner. I j 1 The airship; can be steered by cutting out, or by closingthe trapdoors of all but one of the propellers, the remaining propellers in operation, acting to draw the nose of the craft laterally, the tail end of the craft being steered by the usual elevators and rudders forming no part of this invention, thus aid ing the propellers remaining in operation in the steering function. V c

In operationthe steering wheel 54, in the hands of the ships operator can be caused to control all ofthe trap doors of the four air shafts 24, 24a, 24?), 240; or he can thru the same steering wheel, open anyselective predetermined trap door of the particular air shaft or else open all of the ports. I

Thus by moving the indicating mark 56a on the steering wheel to numeral 1, on scale 55 (Figure 5) the'valve is brought into the position shown in ,Figure 9, with ports A, B, C and D out of registration with the passages a of the air shafts, as the case may be; hence no air can enter the tunnel thru the air shafts as the trap doors '56are all closed at this time. By moving the wheel-counterclockwise still further with indicating mark registering with numeral 2, the ports A, B, C, and D of valve 35 register with all-four air shafts so air can be transmitted from propellers 38 into the tunnel, (as shown in Figure 11). \Vhen the Wheel 54 is moved to bring mark 56a into registration with numeral 3, the row of teeth 62 on the wheel 35a will mesh with pinion 42, resulting in one trap door 56 controlled by it being operated as shown in Figure 13; as the wrist pin 62 on this gear turns from the normal position (with trap door 560 closed) to its position as shown in Figure 2b, the string 61pulls trap door to open position, and by locking the steering Wheel 54 in this position, by means not shown, the trap door can be held open and will remain open. When steering wheel moves to register mark 56a with numeral 4, the teeth 62 will mesh with pinion 48. and now a different trap door 56 will in the man ner already explained selectively be operated and opened; the next turn to numeral 5 made by wheel 54 will not operate any trap door for now the four ports A, B, C, and D will all be open as in Figure 15. So connecting wheel 54 with either numerals l or 4 effects the opening of all ports of the valve 35. The moving of wheel to numerals 6 and 7 of the scale will also respectively open the other two remaining trap doors 56a, 566, as follows; the teeth 62 will mesh with pinion 44 when it leaves its position shown in Figure 15 and thereafter leaves this position and turns pinion 45. I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims. For example, in one figure the valve 35 is formed with the radial tapering connecting ribs and in another view it flares and has wide spaced apart arcuate ports. In both cases the object is to allow constant communication between this valve and all the ports 41.

hat I claim and seek protection on is as follows z 1. An airship having a thru air tunnel extending from the front end clear to the rear end thereof, means for exhausting air from said tunnel, a plurality of interconnected 1nlet conduits operatively connected to said tunnel at the front end of the airship, means for separately opening the several inlet conduits to the suction of air, suctioncreatin means associated with each inlet conduit, and a unitary controller for the conduit opening means.

2. An airship having a thru air tunnel extending from the front end clear to the rear end thereof, means for exhausting air from said tunnel, located midway the length thereof, a plurality of angularly disposed inlet conduits connected in common to said tunnel at the front of the ship, means for exhausting air from each separate conduit, means controlling passage of air thru each separate conduit, and manually controlled means for operating selectively the air controlling means.

3. An airship having an air suction tunnel extending from end to end thereof, a plurality of outwardly diverging air conduits projecting from said tunnel at the front of the ship, trap doors severally disposed in said conduits, means for separately opening said trap doors, and a device manually operated for selectively and predeterminatedly actuating the trap door opening means.

4. An airship having air suction means, a longitudinally disposed tunnel in said airship, a pair of air conduits connected to said tunnel at the front of the airship in a vertical plane, a pair of air conduits connected at right angles to the first pair and also connected to said tunnel, an operating wheel, and means controlled by said wheel for selectively closing one or more of said air conduits.

5. An airship having an air suction tunnel extending therein from one end to the other, a series of tunnel terminals extending in angular radial relation to said tunnel at the front of the ship, means for sucking air thru said terminals independently of air suction in the tunnel proper, and means for selectively regulating the suction of air into any one of said tunnel terminals.

6. Stabilizing means for airships consisting of a suction tunnel extending in the airship from end to end thereof, a series of upwardly and outwardly inclining conduits forming terminals of said tunnel at the front end of the airship, said conduits being arranged in a forwardly diverging position, and mechanism manually operated to open selectively any of said conduits for suction purposes to impel the airship in the direction pointed to by the conduit opened to suction.

An airship consisting of a longitudinally extending suction tunnel, means for sucking air from said tunnel to propel the same, a series of divergent conduits communicating at their rear ends with said tunnel and projecting forwardly of the airship, separate propellers associated with said conduits for exhausting air therethru, trap doors in the several conduits, separate means for opening said several trap doors, and rotary means for selectively operating any of said trap doors.

8. An airship having suction propelling mechanism including an exhaustible central longitudinal tunnel extending from end to end thereof, a plurality of outwardly and angularly disposed conduits, means for separately rotating each conduit relatively to the tunnel, a propeller fixed upon each conduit and rotating therewith, a valve in said tunnel establishing communication with all of said conduit, means in each conduit controlling the passage of air therethru, and unitary means effective to actuate said valve or said air controlling means interchangeably.

' 9. An airship having a suction tunnel, air suction means for exhausting air from said tunnel, a plurality of air suction conduits connected to said tunnel at one end of'the ship, propellers associated in the inlet ends of said conduits, air regulators carried by said conduits severally, a rotary valve operating in said tunnel and having ports registering with each conduit separately, means for operating said valve, means for separately operating the air regulators, means for causing the valve operating means to operate in time with the air regulator operating means, and'manually controlled means for selectively actuatingthe timing means. 1

10. In an airship, the combination of a suction tunnel formed at one end with out wardly diverging conduits providing separate air shafts, trap doors disposed in the several air shafts, propellers rotatably sucking air thru said air shafts into'the tunnel, means for opening and closingsaid trap doors selectively, and means for simultaneously opening or closing all of said trap doors.-

11. In an airship having a thru suction tunnel, a plurality of four airIshafts formed terminally upon said tunnel, two in a vertical plane, and two in a horizontal plane, means for establishing communicationbetween the tunnel and said air shafts, (means operating independently of said other-means for selectively closing any of said air shafts from-air communication with said tunnel, and mechanism causing thetwo aforementioned means to act in time.

12. In an airship having a suctiontunnel,

four air shafts iconnected terminally with 7 said tunnel angularly thereof, and having inlet mouths disposed externally of the airship,:'

propellers rotating in said inlet mouths,

means for rotating said propellers separately,

means located in the suction tunnel for opening communication between tunnel. and all conduits, and means external to the tunnel fors'electively opening one conduit at a time for communication with the tunnel and closing the remainder.

13. In an airship having suction mechaism of propulsion, an air inlet device havingbranch conduits, two being arranged vertically and two horizontally in front of the ship, means for independently rotating each conduit, propellers fixed in the several conduits to rotate therewith, asfour-way joint carried by said tunnel for establishing communication between the tunnel and each sepa rate conduit, valves associated with each con duit, a valve mounted movably in said joint and having four ports conneetible with the four conduits for closing or opening com-. munication therebetwee'n, rotary means foroperating the last-named valve, and means 1,ses,217:

munication between it and the joint, a rotat-;

able valve in saidjoint having ports for communication with the several air shaftssimuL taneously, and mechanism for interchangeably and selectively operating the rotatable valve and the air shaft valve.

15. In combination, in an airship, a con-- tinuous air tunnel, a plurality of four air shafts branching out at the front of the ship i from said tunnel, and pointing in varying radial positions, said air shafts COHllIillIll air tunnel, branch air shafts diverging out from one end thereof, a rotary plug valve in said tunnel having four ports connecting with an axialcentralport in line, with the tunnel, which ports are connectible with the bores of the air shafts simultaneously,a slidable trap door in each air shaft, springs normally closing each' trap door in its conduit,

means pulling the trap doors selectivelyoutwardly to open the air' line in the conduit,

unitary means for selectively actuatingone pulling means at a tnne,-mechan1sm for moving the rotary plug valve, and means controlled by said mechanism for actuating the unitary means. is

17. In anairship, the combination of a scale having numerals inscribed thereupon, a steering wheel, asteering column for said wheel, an air tunnel having radialbranches forming separate inlet airshafts, trap doors in the several air shafts controlling com--;

munication between trap door and tunnel, means in said tunnel opening or eloslng simultaneously the outlet ends of the air shafts into said tunnel, means controlled by, said steering" wheel for operating said last-named means, and means also controlled by said steering wheel for actuating any of the trap doors selectively. e

In witness whereof he-has hereunder set his handthis twenty-seventh day ofDecem- T actuated by said rotary means'for operating 7 the other valves.

14. In combination, in an airship, a plurality of radially separated air shafts, a joint common to allof said air shafts, a valve associated with each air shaft for closing e0m- 

